4:06:57 PM | 24/10/2008
Total 138 Vietnamese firms that join an energy-saving project among small-and-medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) funded by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) have halved spending on energy, the Vietnam News Agency reported.
The 2006-2010 project worth over US$29 million aims to help 500 Vietnamese SMEs of five sectors including brick, pottery and porcelain, paper, pulp, and food processing save energy.
If successful, the project will help Vietnam save a considerable energy volume equivalent to 136,000 tons of oil as well as reduce 962,000 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) annually during the four-year period.
Also, it will help enhance competitiveness for Vietnamese SMEs and reduce their spending on energy.
Participating SMEs are provided with financial support worth VND20 million-VND30 million (US$1,212-US$1,818) each to carry out energy auditing and technology transfer in addition to a loan guarantee worth from VND800 million (US$48,484) to VND2 billion (US$121,212) each.
Power-thirsting Vietnam is calculated to waste around US$1 million worth of energy per day due to inefficient energy use. (VNA)
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